ETHICS Commissioner Mario Dion has determined that an inquiry under the (Conflict of Interest) code is warranted into Liberal MP Raj Grewal’s invitation to Yusuf Yenilmez, who heads the Brampton construction company, Zgemi Inc. and who pays Grewal for legal advice, to a reception that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended during his India visit last February.

In a letter to NDP MP Charlie Angus, Dion said he decided to launch an inquiry into Grewal after he “carefully considered” written submissions from the Brampton East MP and other documents his office had gathered by his office, the Toronto Star reported.

Angus and Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie had both complained to the Ethics Commissioner that Grewal broke two sections of the House of Commons ethics code.

Grewal in a statement said that his business relationship with Yenilmez was cleared by the Ethics Commissioner. He added: “I understand that the commissioner would like more information and as I have done in the past, I will be co-operating fully with the commissioner’s office.”

Last March, the Toronto Star had contacted the Ethics Commissioner and a spokesperson pointed out that because Grewal is not a minister or a parliamentary secretary, he is subject to the conflict of interest code for members of the House of Commons, but not the Conflict of Interest Act.

The spokesperson said MPs are allowed to receive income from anyone.

The Star reported: “In an April 2017 filing with the federal elections’ commissioner, Grewal indicated he was receiving “employment income” from Zgemi Inc. His most recent filing in January 2018 indicates he expects to receive that income for the next 12 months.”

Grewal told the Star: “I’m pretty careful … I don’t touch any of the files that would have anything to do with the federal government.”